How Did Japan Respond to the
Crisis?
February 4th 2013
Different points of view
• One group thought that Japan could not remain
isolated but did not want to be taken over by
another country, they felt they needed Western
technologies to become powerful and
independent.
• Another group believed Japan should remain
isolated, all foreigners should be killed. They
believe “barbarians” would expose Japanese to
different way of living that would undermine the
system
Civil Unrest
• In the mid 1800’s there was unrest in the country.
• People began to question the taxes they were
forced to pay.
• People began to question the government’s
decisions and blamed the government for the
unrest.
• Samurai began to support the emperor and not
the shogun.
• Some did not fear Westerners and used the issue
of foreign presence to fuel contempt for the
Bakufu
• The critics of the Shogun wanted to create a new
government headed by the Emperor.
• They began increasing military armaments and
even purchased weapons and ships from the
West to fight the shogun’s troops.
• The political situation was becoming chaotic. In
1867, samurai from Tosa convinced the shogun to
resign and take a leading role in a new
government.
• Meiji was proclaimed the Emperor
• The shogun responded with military attack
but were defeated in 1869.
• Edo was renamed Tokyo, meaning “Eastern
Capital”.
How did the Political System Change?
• The Meiji leaders used the creation story to
their advantage when they declared the
emperor sacred and inviolable.
• They tried to appeal to Japanese
traditionalism and build loyalty by using the
young emperor as a symbol of unity.
The Charter Oath
• In April 1868, Emperor Meiji signed the
Charter Oath that outlined the goals of the
new regime.
• This charter showed change in all 3 elements
of Worldview political and economic systems,
social systems and culture.